Social protection must be the beginning of inclusive prosperity, says Deputy Minister Hendricks

Social protection must be the beginning of inclusive prosperity, says Deputy Minister Hendricks Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ganief Hendricks, has called for a shift from a passive income model to one that encourages sustainable income generation. “The goal is to move from temporary relief to lasting economic empowerment for communities,” he said. The Deputy Minister was addressing participants at the final day of the Social Security Colloquium on Wednesday, which included informal traders and youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET). This engagement was part of the Department of Social Development’s Social Protection Colloquium, held under the theme: From Grants to Growth: Integrating Social Protection and Income-Generating Opportunities . “Entrepreneurial support must target the unemployed, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities. We must build a South Africa where social protection is not the end of the story, but the beginning of inclusive prosperity. Let us keep building a future where protection and prosperity go hand in hand,” said Hendricks. Policymakers, government leaders, practitioners, and academics convened in Gauteng to discuss strategies for advancing citizen-centred digital transformation through MyMzansi, South Africa’s roadmap for public sector digital transformation. The colloquium was hosted in partnership with the Presidency’s Digital Innovation in the Public Sector and the Digital Service Unit, with support from Genesis Analytics and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg. During the discussions, beneficiaries shared their lived experiences, emphasising how social protection programmes have impacted their access to basic services and their ability to pursue sustainable livelihoods. The talks also focused on how the adoption of digital systems can deepen social protection while safeguarding the dignity of social grant beneficiaries. The country’s digital transformation roadmap is based on the principles of a single point of entry for services and a single digital identity document (ID), supported by Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that links departmental databases. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), an entity of the Department of Social Development, serves as the first use case to pilot the DPI rollout. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SASSA adopted digital systems to provide services to more than 20 million beneficiaries. “As government moves beyond a grant-based approach towards a more comprehensive model of social protection, the digital transformation roadmap envisions a lifecycle of services that cater to beneficiaries’ changing needs.” The department said SASSA currently pays social grants to 19 million beneficiaries, most of whom live in townships and rural areas. The agency continues to face challenges, such as long queues at local offices. However, the department said the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SDR) grant has demonstrated that this could be significantly reduced through digital systems. Through digitisation, SASSA aims to streamline internal processes, minimise manual paperwork, and reduce administrative errors. Meanwhile, the agency is modernising its infrastructure to improve service delivery and is working to link its databases with other entities, such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), to simplify access to tertiary education funding. Several grant beneficiaries shared their personal stories of resilience and empowerment. Dikgapi Michelle Susane, a young woman who previously benefited from the COVID-19 SRD grant, shared that the provision helped to meet her basic needs. After the support ended, she joined the Basic Package of Support (BPS) programme for unemployed youth, which assisted her in acquiring skills and starting her own business. Another participant in the BPS programme, Mmankwane Marutle, who is now employed and was previously a COVID-19 SRD recipient, described how the programme boosted his confidence and helped him develop a positive mindset. Hendricks stressed the necessity for stronger collaboration among government, universities, and research institutions to ensure that policy decisions are guided by evidence-based research. – SAnews.gov.za Gabisile Thu, 10/30/2025 - 13:22 31 views

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